Inter-eNB CA Discard Timer Control via Master-Slave Coordination

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing LTE method lacks clarity on how to conduct 'Discard timer control' during Inter-eNB CA (Carrier Aggregation) between different radio base stations, which is necessary for maintaining throughput comparable to LTE Release-10.

Innovation Solution

A mobile communication system where a master radio base station starts a timer upon receiving a data signal from a gateway device and notifies a slave radio base station upon timer expiration, allowing the slave radio base station to discard the data signal, ensuring appropriate 'Discard timer control' during Inter-eNB CA.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If Inter-eNB CA is performed to enable simultaneous communication using CCs under different radio base stations, then throughput is improved, but clarity on discard timer control is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovethroughputVSAvoidclarity on discard timer control

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the discard timer control function into two parts: the master radio base station starts and manages the discard timer, while the slave radio base station executes the discard action based on notifications from the master. This segmentation resolves the control clarity issue by assigning specific responsibilities to each base station in the Inter-eNB CA architecture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The master radio base station acts as an intermediary between the gateway device and the slave radio base station for timer control. It receives data from the gateway, manages the discard timer, and coordinates with the slave base station to ensure proper data handling, thereby providing clear control mechanisms in the distributed Inter-eNB CA system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If a single radio base station cannot house all CCs, then Inter-eNB CA becomes necessary, but timer control coordination becomes complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecapability to use multiple CCs under different base stationsVSAvoidtimer control coordination

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the timer control functions of multiple radio base stations into a unified control mechanism where the master base station manages the discard timer on behalf of the entire Inter-eNB CA system. This reduces coordination complexity by consolidating timer management at a single point while maintaining the distributed architecture for data transmission.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS9986554B2Mobile communication system and radio base station

Publication Date: 2018.05.29 NTT DOCOMO INC

AI summary

Embodiments disclosed herein at directed to appropriately conducting “Discard control” while “inter-eNB CA” is performed. In a mobile communication system of the invention, a radio base station (MeNB) is configured to transfer a PDCP-PDU transmitted by a gateway device (S-GW) to either a mobile station (UE) or a radio base station (SeNB). The radio base station (MeNB) is configured to start a given timer at the point when the PDCP-PDU is received from the gateway device (S-GW) while the “Inter-eNB CA” is performed. The radio base station (MeNB) is configured to, at the point when the given timer expires, give a notice on the expiration to the radio base station (SeNB). The radio base station (SeNB) is configured to discard a PDCP-PDU transferred by the radio base station (MeNB) in response to the notice.